10 More Bands Who Had Huge Potential (But Wasted It)

Chances are if you’ve listened to a rock radio station at any point in your life, you’ve heard Born to Be Wild by Steppenwolf.

This rip-roaring number became forever associated with motorcycle culture after its inclusion in the 1969 film Easy Rider. It also marks the first time any rock song featured the term “heavy metal”, which makes it pretty damn important.

So, why is this the only Steppenwolf song anyone has ever heard of? Sure, you can cite something like Magic Carpet Ride, but that’s nowhere near on the same level as this.

Big success led to big arguments amongst the group’s members, particularly singer John Kay and guitarist Michael Monarch. The band announced a retirement tour in 1972, and although they have gotten back together in various combinations, it was never the same.

If its members had been able to keep their egos in check, then Steppenwolf could have been one of the biggest bands of the 1970s and enjoyed many more mega-hits on the same level as Born to Be Wild. Still, with the amount of money that song has made over the years, it’s not like they’ve gone without.